Skoda to roll out a small-sized SUV in 2010.

It is not the case of the abominable snowman but Czech car maker Skoda — part of the VW Group — is getting ready to pump up its presence in the Indian car market.Dr Thomas Kuehl, member of the board in charge of sales and marketing, informed that his company would be launching an all new small-sized SUV in the country in early 2010.

It is an established fact that Skoda has been mandated within the VW Group (which includes the other mass market brands like VW and Audi which are also in India) to tap all newer markets in the developing world as the group’s entry level marque. The Yeti is a butch little vehicle (based on the design concept of the same name which was shown in 2005) which has been designed for both urban and leisure driving and has the capability of all wheel drive.

More a crossover than an SUV, the Yeti’s compact nature will ensure that it would be the preferred option for those who dote on SUV-styled vehicles but didn’t either have the money or were daunted by the sheer mass such vehicles sport. This pleasing crossover embraces a wraparound windscreen, coated windscreen side-pillars (which in the automotive lexicon is normally termed the A-pillar ), and the characteristic roof covering which Skoda is noted for.

The car will bridge the gap in the Skoda lineup between the Fabia and the Octavia and it would be the ideal ticket for those who wish to ply the urban jungle in the week while making tracks in the outback on weekends. Engine and transmission systems would necessarily mirror those already seen on the Fabia and Octavia sold presently in India though with all wheel drive capability expect a boost in both power and torque.

The Yeti would predominantly be built with a front wheel drive configuration for the masses while the all wheel drive version would employ VW’s 4Motion all-wheel drive gear, having specifically been made to cater to all VW group offerings with transversely mounted engines.

The Skoda Yeti would be priced just around Rs 10 lakh and liley to make its debut at Auto Expo in Delhi next January . The Yeti would be put together at the Aurangabad plant as a CKD operation using kits shipped in from Skoda’s Kvasiny plant in Czech Republic.

Thomas Kuehl inaugurated Europa Auto, the company’s 60th 3S dealership in Pune. Skoda hopes that by year end it would have 65 full dealerships. ‘‘ We have a growing customer base and expanding product lines and a responsive spare parts infrastructure is a step to keep pace with growth,” said Kuehl.